Hobby-horse



(No Model.)

No. 509,451. Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

ZW mm 0%/ THE mman. umcanr'mna cuMPANv.

Ni'rnn T ATns PATENT Fries.

WILLIAM SANCTO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HOBBY-HORSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,451, dated November28, 1893.

Application tiled May 10, 1893. Serial No. 473,655. (No model.)

To all whom/t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SANo'ro, of Chicago, county of Cook, Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hobby-Horses;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in hobby-horses with wheels, andconsists in connecting the body of the horse or saddle and stirrups witha driving crank in such a manner that the hobby-horse is propelled bythrowing the weight of the rider alternately on the saddle or body ofthe horse, and on the stirrups, both motions serving to rotate the crankand drive the wheels.

In the accompanying drawings that form a part of my specication,throughout the several views, similar letters refer to similar parts.

Figure l is a vertical, side-sectional view of the hobby-horse, showingthe outline of the wooden horse and the interior machinery forpropelling. Fig. 2 is a top view of the machinery. Fig. 3 is across-sectional view showing stirrups and attachments.

The horse is constructed of wood with ordinary trappings and themachinery for propelling is of metal, with the exception of leatherstirrup straps. The interior of the horse is hollow for the purpose ofcontaining the propelling machinery, and the horse can be made of twohalves or parts screwed together, or of several pieces fastened togetheras thought most expedient, or the horse can be made of one or morepieces of metal.

The reaches F. F. (Figs. l and 2) extend from the shaft I. near thedriving Wheels G. G. to the post B. and are riveted to the post at thepoints m. m. The post B. and the reaches F. F. can be cast in one or twopieces. The horse I-I. is joined to the post B. by a crossbar pivoted atthe points A. A; and is also joined to beam L. by a pivoted T-bar M.having bearing plates P. P. at the point ct.

C. is the steering rod of the guiding wheel E. and passes through postB. and is riveted to a cross bar D., for steering. (See Fig. 2).

S. S. are forks to prevent the turning of the wheel E. too far around.

L is a beam moving on its center O., being pivoted to abar passingthrough the reaches F. F., O. being nearer the front than the rear endof beam L.

K. is a rod pivoted at both extremities, connecting the rear end of beamL. to crank I.

I. is the crank which, by its rotation, turns the driving wheels G. G'.

V. V. are leather stirrup-straps joining the tops of the metal stirrupsN. N. with respective ends of T-bar Z which is pivoted at front end' ofbeam L.

X. is a bar joining the bottom of stirrups N. N. Tlielrod R. is pivotedat one end to the center of bar X. at so. and at the other end ispivoted to the bottom of connecting rod K.

h. is saddle on horse I-I.

A single rod or bar connecting stirrup-bar X. with front of beam L. canbe substituted for the stirrups, the stirrup-straps and the T- bar Z.;as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3.

The advantage of this invention is the ease with which the machine canbe put in motion from a state of rest. The rider seated in the saddlewith his feet in the stirrups merely leans the body forward, presses thestirrups backward and slightly downward, and then rises on his feet. Themotion and weight press the stirrups downward and slightly backward. Thefront end of beam L. falls, the crank is forced pastits dead center andthe hobby-horse moves forward. To make the progress continuous,the riderstraightens the body, presses forward with his feet, rests his weight onthe saddle, thus depressing the rear end of beam L. and rotating thecrank by means of rod K. and the throwing of the weight of the bodyalternately on the stirrups and on the saddle serves to rotate the crankand drive the wheels G. G

The machine is propelled not so much by the muscular action of the legsas by shifting the position and weight of the body, while the motioncaused by this change of position furnishes a healthful exercise.

My invention is also adapted to tricycles, bicycles and similar devices.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- ICO The beam L.with rod K. connecting with crank I. the leather strrup-straps V. V.joining beam L. to stirrups N. N. by T-bar Z and the rod R. joining barX. and head of rod K.,

5 and the reaches F. F., post B., steering rod C. having cross-bar D.,steering wheel E., driving wheels G. G. in combination with horse H.joined to the post B. at point A. A. and

to the beam L. by T-bar M. substantially as described.

WILLIAM SANCTO. Witnesses: Y e

BAZEL W. VEIRs, EDWARD W. AUSTIN.

